Base for fence-posts



(No Model.)

W. W. MoOALLIP. BASE FOR FENGE POSTS.-

No.-357,2-1'7.. Patented Feb. 8, 1887.

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I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM WATERMAN MOGALLIP, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

' BASE FOR FENCE-POSTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,217, dated February Application filed May 28, 1886. Serial No. 203,553. (No modeLl To all whom' it may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM WATERMAN MOOALLIP, acitizen' of the United States, residing at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio. have invented new and useful Improvements in Bases for Fence-Posts,

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in bases for fence-posts; and it consists of the peculiar combination and novel construction andarrangement of the various parts for service,

substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and particularlypointed out in the claims.

The object of my present invention is to" curely and rigidly fastened to the post; and,

finally, to provide means for detachablyand adjustably connecting the, fence'post to the base, so that the post can be movedto occupy substantially the same elevation or height should thebase sink or descend into the earth. In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a base for fence-posts embodying my invention, Figure 1 is aperspective view thereof with the cap removed. Fig. .2 is a likeview of the cap, Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectional view through the base, its cap, and one form of fence-post. 7

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates my improved base, which is made of vitrified earthenware for durability of construction and cheapness of manufacture. The length of the base 'eX- ceeds the width thereof by two, three, or; more times, so that the base will enter the earth quite deep and present an increased area of surface to the soil, to afford greater resistance and prevent the base from sinking into the earth. The shape of the base is shown in the drawings as substantially square or rectangular; but this isimrnaterial, as it can be made circular or of other desired form.

The base is provided with a series of longitudinal openings or passages, b, which are arranged parallel to each other and equidistant apart, and these passages are formed therein in the manner described to insure an even and uniform burning of the base when it is in the kiln, and to admit the heat to the interior of the base more effectually and thoroughly to burn and harden the clay of which the base is composed, the openings or passages offering an increased or multiplied surface to the action of the heat to insure the proper burning of the base. In practical use the longitudinal passages of the base are filled with a mixture of non-freezing water-proof material, toprevent the admission of water and moisture into the passages of the base, without which mixture or filling the water and moisture in the base are liable to freeze in cold weather and break and thus destroy the base.

I preferably use a mixture composed of broken or crushed stone and cement in proper proportions and quantity; but the filling can be varied as desired. The filling is inserted into-the base and thecap attached preferably before the base is planted in the ground, so that the cap 0 is secured to the base by the cement, thus dispensing with anyindependent means for securing the cap in place, and by means of the filling of non-freezing material water and moisture are effectually excluded to prevent the base from bursting, thereby greatly increasing the strength and durability thereof.

The cap 0 of the base is made of metal and .provided with a depending flange or rim, 0, at

its edges, which fits snugly over the upper exposed end of the base and protects the same from breakage and the weather. The metallic cap surmounts the base, and at or near its edges the cap is provided with a series of depending lugs, cl, which are formed integral therewith and fit snugly and tightly in the upper ends of the longitudinal passages of the base, in which they are permanently secured by the cement of the non-freezing filling of the base. The cap corresponds in size and shape to the transverse contour of the base, and the upper portion thereof is made quite thick and ICO solid, to insure strength and stability thereto, and the cap is further provided with vertically-disposed slots 6, which align with simi lar slots, f, in the base, to permit the lower extremities of the legs G of a metallic fence-post, G, to pass through the cap and into the upper end of the base, by which arrangement the post is braced and strengthened. The legs of the post pass freely through the aligned slots of the cap and base, and to rigidly and se eurely support the post in its upright position I employ wedge-shaped keys It, which are driven into the slots of the cap and bind against the edges of the slots and thelower extremity of the fence-post. 13y removing the keys the fence postcan be detached or adjusted verti cally, so that it can be moved to substantially the same height and maintained at that height shouldthe base sink or descend into the earth; and this vertical adjustment of the fencepost is also useful for lining purposes in erecting fences. The number and shape of the slots 0 and f can be varied to accommodate fenceposts of different forms and sizes; and the means for detachably securing the post to the base can also be changed, if desired.

By forming the base of vitrified earthenware with the longitudinal equidistant passages therein the base can be uniformly and thoroughly burned, and can be manufactured and sold for avery trifling sun1less than one half of the ordinary metal or stone bases generally employed.

The post is very durable, being practically indestructible under ordinary usage, and by the non freezing filling therein water and moisture are effectually excluded, to prevent the base from bursting.

Any form of post can be connected to the base, and it can be readily detached and applied.

Heretofore it has been impracticable to thoroughly burn a single solid block or mass of clay for use as a base for fence-posts of more than a few inches in length to sufficient hardness to withstand the weather and the weight and strain of the post. This difficulty I overcome by providing the base with a series of "longitudinal parallel passages, so that the heat of the kiln when burning the base can have free and unobstructed entrance to the inner walls of the passages in the base, as well as the outer sides thereof, which permits the complete vitrifying of the said inner and outer walls, and renders the inner walls as hard as the outer and more exposed walls, thus producing a base which is practically indestructible in the earth.

'A base for fence-posts constructed in accordance with my invention has the multiplied strength of a number of single pieces of burnt or vitrified clay each of which has a single perforation, and produces a solid block of burnt and vitrified claywith an increased or multiplied area of resistance in the earth, and requires but one-half the quantity of material in its manufacture. The base has the necessary strength to resist the weight and strain of the post and fence thereon, in addition to being proof against the weather and earth, and they can be manufactured for a triflng sum as compared with the cost of producing stone and metallic bases.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As a new article of manufacture, a base for fence posts, formed in a single piece of vitrified earthen substance and having a series of longitudinal passages therethrough, and a nonfreezing mixture in the said passages, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a base provided with a series of longitudinal passages having a non-freezing filling, of a cap rigidly affixed to the base, a post fitted in the cap, and means for adjustahly connecting the post tothe cap, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a base having openings therein, a nond'reeziug mixture in the said openings, a cap sin-mounting the base and provided with depending lugs which enter the openings and are embedded in the non freezing mixture, and a postsecured to the cap, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of a slotted base, a cap surmounting the base and having the slots thereof in line with those of the base, and a post fitting in the slots of the base and cap and adjustable vertically therein, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a base provided with the vertical slots f, a slotted cap surmounting the base, the post fitted in the slots, and the keys for securing the post to the cap and base, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a base having the passages and slots, a slotted cap surmounting the base and having depending lugs fitted in the upper ends of the passages, the slots of the said cap being in line with those of the base, and a post fitted in the aligned slots and de tacha-bl y secured in place, substantially as described;

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixcd my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM WAlllllIllAX McCALLlP.

Witnesses: \V. O. HEnnnRsoN, FRANK T. CLARKE.

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